As we are in the middle of January and snowfall is frequent, the time has already come to think about the next vacation! Like a bubble of breathing and comfort in the heart of winter, we already imagine packing our suitcases for an exotic getaway that will make us forget all the stress of everyday life and why not take a little color along the way. To meet this need for escape, we wanted to present to you a concept that we recently discovered at Mapache and that has won us over: slow travel.

As its name suggests, slow travel invites us to consider holidays or moments of rest through the prism of slowing down in the global sense of the term. Indeed, we live in a world where we can sometimes feel a certain pressure, where we have to have seen and done everything. Holidays are no exception to the rule and we often tend to organize them according to a timed schedule , thus leaving little room for real time off.

Taking the opposite view of this frantic quest for activities, slow travel sees travel more as a source of rest, a return to simplicity, and respect for people and the planet. This is what we're going to detail in this article! But before getting to the heart of the matter, we wanted to briefly explain the origins of slow travel...

Back to the 80s, destination Italy! When a McDonald's restaurant wanted to open in the heart of Rome, a wave of protests from local residents gave rise to the creation of a movement: the slow food movement. In other words, we want local cuisine, traditions, food grown close to home. This is how local culture is experiencing a resurgence of interest, because it conveys a definition of simple happiness and above all values ​​​​humanity, a very important dimension at Mapache .

Now that you know (almost) everything about slow travel, let's take a moment to focus on the benefits it provides...

Benefit #1: Really rest

It's all in the name! The word slow, meaning "slow" in English, perfectly sums up the purpose of this type of vacation. Slow travel distances itself from traditional tours, preconceived itineraries, and lists of must-see or must-do things. The planning is that there is no planning. Far from the tourism we know, here we seek to thwart constraints and stress to make more room for calm and rest.

By taking the time to discover a place and its riches, by strolling through the streets, by savoring the present moment, we offer ourselves a much-needed gift in these tumultuous times: allowing ourselves to relax and find our inner calm. Daily life imposes many challenges on us and it is important to breathe, which is precisely what slow travel allows. So sure, you may not have followed your travel guide to the letter and posted as many photos on Instagram as planned, but you will have enjoyed the places and isn't that ultimately the real benefit we want to get from our vacation?

By slowing down, you can access a multitude of small pleasures that would probably have gone unnoticed if your only concern had been to be on time for the next tourist visit. We will discuss these small pleasures in the next part :)

Benefit #2: Refocus on your desires

Setting off on a slow travel adventure is also the perfect opportunity to ask yourself what you actually want from your vacation. Some people love spending time reading , others like trying local food (we're part of this team at Mapache!), and still others value simple moments with family, like playing a board game for example. There's just one thing to remember here: all expectations are legitimate as long as you plan to live them fully. As you've probably understood, slow travel is an invitation to refocus on your personal interests and not just on what you should do on vacation. In other words, give yourself a break, do what you enjoy, and enjoy doing it!

Once you have defined your source of wonder and enrichment, you will no longer look at vacations in the same way since they will now embody the opportunity to enjoy in all simplicity and with curiosity. Watching a sunset, hiking with your eyes wide open, discovering a local craft , tasting a regional dish, going to the market, calling on your five senses to savor the environment in which we are...

There are so many ways to go in search of simple pleasures and what's more, these are often associated with a deep respect for those around us: an essential dimension in slow travel...

Benefit #3: Be more respectful

In the current context, we can no longer ignore the major upheavals our planet is experiencing and the need to revisit our lifestyle and consumption habits. Slow travel does not promote faraway destinations; on the contrary, this concept aims to highlight the richness of what is close to us , or to consider other modes of transport to access the places we want to go. We readily admit that it will be complicated to explore the heavenly landscapes of Mexico , but Europe has magnificent destinations that you can access by train or car, for example. Once there, don't hesitate to rent bikes when possible or to take public transport. It's another way to enjoy the place, but just as exotic!

This respect for the environment can also be transposed to humans. This essential facet of slow travel pushes us to communicate with local inhabitants and especially shopkeepers. Trust us on this point: starting a conversation with a local shopkeeper will in 99% of cases be a source of enrichment and a boost for morale. Because the majority of them naturally like to talk about what motivates them in these places, and a passionate spirit always carries positive vibes! In other words, you have a lot to gain from your curiosity by initiating exchanges, but it is also and above all a more respectful approach to tourism , since you take the time to take an interest in the locals.

We hope this blog post has inspired you to return to simplicity for your next vacation! The concept of slow travel certainly won't appeal to everyone, but we're convinced that its benefits are worth experiencing :)

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